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Four killed in Israeli airstrike on Hamas

ISRAELI warplanes killed four Hamas militants and demolished a school linked to the group in a series of missile strikes in Gaza City yesterday.

A Hamas commander is believed to have been among the four who died when two cars in which they were travelling were hit in the Zeitoun district of Gaza City. Nine people were injured.

Early this morning Israeli jets returned to launch missiles at the Tufah and Jebaliya refugee camps. Their target in Tufah was the Al-Arqum school, which Israel says was used by Hamas to fund suicide bombers. Hospital officials said at least 20 people, including nine children, were injured in the blast.

The airstrikes were part of what Israel called a “crushing response” to the first major Hamas rocket barrage on Israeli towns since the withdrawal. Israeli artillery batteries were positioned on the border with the Gaza Strip and all Palestinians were prevented from